FIREFLIES: Reflections Drawn from the Enrichment and Inspiration of a Life Among Cockatoos

8/13/2019 FIREFLIES: Reflections Drawn from the Enrichment and Inspiration of a Life Among Cockatoos

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FIREFLIES:

Reflections Drawn from the Enrichment and Inspirationof a Life Among Cockatoos

Stewart A. Metz, M.D.!SAM." refers to the A#thor, especiall$ when adding emphases to words or phrases from

the works of others%

& Decem'er (), *+(

A. Introd#ction" -he -wo Aspects of the SalmoncrestedCockatoo Cacatua moluccensis)

Mol#ccan cockatoos are among the most wonderf#l of parrots. /or those who might

agree with me, the reasons are #s#all$ rather s#perficial ones 0isi'le to all" their 'ea#t$1

their comedic sense1 their sentience1 their astonishing feats of intelligence1 and theirirrepressi'le antics. 2owe0er, the ma3or goal of this article is not to highlight these well

known and s#perficial attri'#tes, '#t rather, to some s#'tle and rare of these 4ld 5orld

parrots, which are rarel$ recognized or disc#ssed, and which I will disc#ss 'elow indetail. In m$ e6perience and anal$sis, and that of a few a#thors and poets, one can #se

/ireflies as em'odiments of some #ne6pected descriptors #sed to characterize the

Salmoncrested cockatoo, incl#ding 7wondro#s8, 7ethereal8, 7inspirational88 , 7godlike8,7mirac#lo#s8, and 7celestial89altho#gh some of these a#thors disc#ss 'irds in

general, rather than cockatoos. S#ch characterizations ma$ ha0e some tr#th in them if

the$ are percei0ed similarl$ '$ a n#m'er of di0erse people. /ireflies ha0e em'odied m$

personal e6perience with Salmoncrested !Mol#ccan:% cockatoos in the wilds of SeramIsland, Indonesia, the sole remaining homeland of these cockatoos. ;ote that in

disc#ssions of this cockatoo, Salmoncrested and Seram cockatoo, as well as Cacatua

moluccensis are technicall$ correct1 howe0er !Mol#ccan cockatoo: is rather 0ag#e sincethere are se0eral species of cockatoo in the Mol#ccas%.

S#ch rather heretical statements will r<#ire e6tensi0e 3#stification. 5hat follows is a 0er$

personal 0iew of how parrots, and in partic#lar Indonesian cockatoos, ha0e inspired meand there'$ t#rned m$ life #psidedown. 5ithin m$ personal e6perience and 0iews m#st

'e more o'3ecti0e anal$ses. -his article is written with the hope that it will help to pass

on m$ own inspiration '$ these parrots to a few others who ha0e e$es wide open and arerecepti0e to some rather a'stract concepts dealing with parrots9cockatoos in partic#lar.

2opef#ll$ the$ will 'e similarl$ called to help these wondro#s '#t endangered parrots.Some of m$ concepts s#ch as 7inspiration8 and 7enchantment8 , as well as !celestial: and!ephemeral: will seem somewhat whimsical to some readers, '#t this does reflect m$



response to a longtime interaction to these cockatoos and m$ hope that reading this

article might open the e$es of s#ch readers at least to the possi'ilities and 0iews I

disc#ss. After all, a central concept is that the conser0ation of these 'eleag#ered parrotsre<#ires a change in attit#de !paradigm shift:1 FN #1% not 3#st in the 0illages who h#nt

them, '#t in us, who m#st ha0e deepseated attit#des a'o#t the special <#alities of these

'irds if we are to go to 'attle on 'ehalf of their conser0ation.

It is not s#rprising that m$ passion for cockatoos wo#ld 'e accompanied '$ a pressing

concern for their conser0ation. Indeed, m$ own work with the Indonesian =arrot =ro3ectformerl$, =ro3ect >ird 5atch % has 'een comprised, to a large degree, of tr$ing to 'ring

a paradigm shift [FN #1? to the wa$ in which we 0iew these wondro#s creat#res.

>$ !we: here, I mean not onl$ the people in de0eloped co#ntries, '#t also the people in

Indonesia and the =hilippines who own these 'irds, '#t tend to take them for grantedwith little concern in general o0er h#nting them.

FN #1" A !paradigm shift: can 'e defined as a !radical change in #nderl$ing

'eliefs: or !life st$le.:

@ears of immersing m$self intensi0el$ in8 the st#d$ of cockatoos at man$ le0els literall$

changed m$ life9from tr$ing to help patients in need as a ph$sician% to helping parrots

in need. M$ first e6pos#re was '$ wa$ of cockatoos as pets, and e0en in that setting, the$demonstrate a comple6it$. 4n the one hand, the$ are easil$ recognized for their 'ea#t$

see PHOTOS #1-3?, intelligence, sentience, comedic 'eha0ior, and other easil$

recognized <#alities. In addition, cockatoos ma$ displa$ certain traits which mimic, atleast to a degree, those in h#mans. /or e6ample, I ha0e long felt that when a cockatoo

lifts its crest, it is analogo#s to #s raising o#r e$e'rows, as a refle6i0e e6pression of

emotion. Cockatoos ma$ walk in a manner reminiscent of h#mans ie, #pright at times%and while I am no ph$siologist, when the$ hold their food to eat it, the$ appear to 'eapposing their !th#m': to their second z$godact$l. All of these feat#res and 'eha0iors do

tend to contri'#te to the all#re of cockatoos9'#t onl$ in a s#perficial wa$.



PHOTO #1 "

PHOTO #2

PHOTOS # 1 and 2 Salmoncrested or !Seram:% cockatoos taken from the wild

on Seram Island, and in o#r Reha'ilitation and Release Center at the time of this

photograph photos '$ the A#thor S.A.M. and >. Bimmermann?



“She (Sophia, one of her Salmon-crests) embodied all the magic and the misery

of modern parrots.. Sophia climbed off her perch, climbed up my arm, and

leaned into my face.. A Moluccan cocatoo, among the !orld"s most stunning

birds#.fanned her crest in a spectacular blush#.$ut there"s a dar side to our passion for parrots, and Sophia end Sophia embodied that too.. %nce an elegant

bird in !hite feathers,, she"s no! a tattered beauty, her feathered ragged and herchest pluced bare#.&ith no outlet for the chronic frustration of li'ing in an

en'ironment epressly unsuited to them, these intelligent creatures often de'elop

destructi'e beha'iors lie screaming, aggression to their o!ners, and #self-

mutilation.”

FN #3: /rom Lott, >. “-he Magic and Miser$ of Modern =arrots9-he

Colorless 5orld of >irds in Capti0it$: All Animals. MarchApril, *+(,and

>ergman, C. !;o/l$ Bone" Denied their ;at#ral 2a'its, Millions of =et =arrots

Lead >leak, Lonel$ Li0es ,ibid

Similarl$, Rosemar$ Low has written FN #4? that“ , too, belie'e that no parrot has suffered so much at the hand of man as the Moluccan Cocatoo. %n countless occasions these poor birds ha'e !renched at

my heart-strings due to the inhumane treatment they !ere suffering. *hose big,

bro!n !atchful eyes seem to sho! !isdom and intelligence that is so great that

caging them ecept under eceptional conditions is an act of cruelty. *his 'ie!

!ill seem etraordinarily sentimental to those !ho ha'e not been closely

in'ol'ed !ith this cocatoo. Many of those !ho ha'e , !ill ha'e eperienced

(along !ith the shries and the histrionics) tenderness perhaps unmatched by

any creature on earth, an intense need for a soul-mate and the capacity to

epress and understand emotion, all to a degree that many !ould not belie'e

possible in a non-human creature.”

FN # 4" R. Low, A Cent#r$ of =arrots , Insignis =#'l. , Mansfield, ;otts, .,*++F, p. *F*

Among the man$ acti0ities lost to cockatoos in capti0it$ are foraging for their fa0orite

and often re<#isite foods PHOTO #4]; fl$ing, and searching for clean, fresh water

[PHOTO #5?1 chewing on nat#ral materials s#ch a wood FN #5?1 socializing with their

flock1 and pla$ing, 3#st to e6press 3o$ PHOTO #6?. -here is a panopl$ of others too

long to list here.

[FN#5] In fact, the first 'ook de0oted totall$ to the care of parrots in

capti0it$ =arrots in Capti0it$, '$ 5.-. Greene ,(HH% incl#des some of

the earliest descriptions of the res#lts of remo0ing these cockatoos fromtheir forest homes and p#tting them in cages which co#ld not meet their

needs. Among the res#lts were some of the earliest descriptions of self

m#tilation and feather pl#cking in !Great 5hite cockatoos: 'oth C. alba

and C. moluccensis ). -h#s , e0en (+ $rs ago, 'ecame apparent. Greene

wrote in (HJ( in /a0o#rite /oreign >irds Cages and A0iaries , for

e6ample, that “parrots should ha'e#a piece of soft !ood on !hich toeercise their beas, the !ant of !hich often impels them to pluc out



their feathers.”. It is a lesson easil$ o0erlooked, e0en a cent#r$ and a half

later.

PHOTO #4" -his 'ird, from a flock of GangGang Cockatoos, was o'ser0ed '$ the A#thor in

;ew So#th 5ales, A#stralia eating their fa0orite foods92awthorn 'erries. PHOTO '$ S.A.M.1



-he a'ilit$ to fl$ and search for water so#rces PHOTO #5? is e6emplified '$ this flockof Ma3or Mitchell Cockatoos o'ser0ed in the 4#t'ack of A#stralia. PHOTO '$ S.A.M.



.

PHOTO #6 :-his Ma3or Mitchell8s Cockatoo was o'ser0ed '$ the A#thor at s#ndown in the 4#t'ack of

A#stralia swinging 7ro#nd and 7ro#nd a tree lim' with no apparent reason e6cept to e6press his

e6#'erance and 3o$. PHOTO #6 '$ S.A.M.

2owe0er, the e6ternal feat#res and 'eha0iors of these cockatoos are not the ma3or foc#sof this article. Rather, it is certain inner <#alities, which comprise their magical and at

times almost transcendent <#alities, which form the foc#s of this article. -hese ethereal

see FN # 6 for definitions] <#alities I will s#ggest, lend themsel0es to the interpretationthat /ireflies ma$ 'e, or ma$ represent in some wa$, a personification of cockatoos9

possi'l$ e0en the incarnation of the so#ls of !lost: cockatoos. In addition, these

cockatoos, and especiall$ the Salmoncrested species, ma$ represent icons for man$ ofthe concepts seen in Animism see Section C, 'elow%.

[FN# 6] " Defining !ethereal: is as diffic#lt as descri'ing how this ad3ecti0e

capt#res the !inner: <#alities of the white cockatoo. S$non$ms for !ethereal:

incl#de" intangi'le1 too perfect for the world1 spirit#al1 celestial1 transcendent1and 'eatific. 2owe0er, the$ all re0ol0e in some wa$ aro#nd the concepts oftranscending the commonplace and m#ndane of this world while 'ringing to it

the 0al#es of neardeification1 compassion 1 wisdom, lo$alt$, p#rit$, and

transcendence . 4mitted from this list, '#t 'egging to 'e added, wo#ld 'e

!tragic:. Linda Easter'rook wrote of the /irefl$ that



“Mother +irefly is the ind of character "'e al!ays !anted to

play. She"s larger than life, terribly tragic , and capable of a lot of

lo'e” date and so#rce #nknown1 a!n"ua"$n %& S.'.(.%.

-hese words appl$ e<#all$ well to the Salmoncrested cockatoo. As for 'eing

tragic fig#res, -homas 2ard$ wrote in (J(F, in !-he >linded >ird: [ FN#) ] :

“So estfully canst thou sing

And all this indignity, &ith od"s consent, on thee/ $linded #. $y the red-hot needle thou#

&ho hath charity *his bird.

&ho suffereth long and is ing. s not pro'oed, though blind

And ali'e ensepulchred?

&ho hopeth, endureth all things

&ho thinketh no evil , but sings Who is divine *his bird.”

!*+as!s add!d %& S.'.(.

In his poem, he hints at the tragic s#ffering and mistreatment1 the imprisonment ofall% 'irds1 their compassion1 and asks who approaches di0init$ thro#gh song and

re3ection of e0il. Altho#gh not specificall$ a'o#t cockatoos, it might as well 'e, as it

capt#res their tragic side and their neardi0init$ see 'elow% 0er$ well. In fact, as we

ha0e stated, /ireflies ma$ 'e acting as the s#rrogate em'odiments of these aspects of5hite Cockatoos, and possi'l$ the$ might act th#sl$ for a wider contingent of 'irds"

0Some say they don1t belie'e that angels can be seen or heard.&hat a shame, such blindness. &hat a pity, such deafness.

&hen the Song of songs abounds and 2ea'en1s flyers are all around

%nly thinly disguised as birdsK anon.?

PHOTO )a is of a reallife 'linded parrot9a Salmoncrested cockatoo who was

'eaten so se0erel$ to his head '$ his captors that he 'ecame sightless, and died

shortl$ after transfer to o#r Reha'ilitation Center. -his Salmoncrested cockatoo diedshortl$ after 'eing transferred to o#r Reha'ilitation Center. -he ca#se of death was

the 'r#tal tra#ma to his head inflicted on him '$ his captors, #ntil he was resc#ed '$

go0ernment officials. -he white patches in his e$es indicate his 'lindness, andindicate damage to the cornea, 0itreo#s, lens or other str#ct#res. 2e forms a tragic

fig#re, a death witho#t p#rpose. PHOTO '$ Mand$ Andrea?

#st 'elow is a PHOTO # )%% of another tragic fig#re, who died d#e to se0erestar0ation. D#e to wasting of s#pporting str#ct#res, the keel is markedl$ prominent.

2is feathers displa$ed marked horizontal pigmentation of his tail and other feathers ,

often called stress 'ars, and are #s#all$ d#e to se0ere star0ation which, in t#rn, is

often associated with the m#scles aro#nd the keel. PHOTO '$ S.A.M.?



-he end#rance of s#ch treatment tends to con0ert these cockatoos into tragic fig#res, with

their 'asicall$ gentle, compassionate, and wise characters, fighting a losing 'attle against

mistreatment and greed, or, it might 'e e6pressed, the end#ring, compassionate fig#re ofthe cockatoo 0s.% the greed$, commercialized trappermiddleman who p#ts the life of the

cockatoos at risk for a 'it of profit.

>. Dance of the /ireflies

S#ch a form#lation might seem rather whimsical. 2ow did s#ch a tho#ght ariseN

5hen the Indonesian =arrot =ro3ect ran ecoto#rs to Seram c#rrentl$ the onl$ home forthe Salmoncrested cockatoo%, a thrilling part of the trip was sleeping on the #ni<#e

sleeping platform high in the canop$. 5e had constr#cted three of these, the tallest 'eing

a'o#t (+ ft. tall, with a platform at the top capa'le of sleeping F people .-here were

ma3estic 0iews of the mo#ntains and the sweep of the 0alle$ right 'elow. I 'elie0e that9 at least at that time *++? these were the onl$ s#ch !sleeping platforms: in the world to

0iew parrots in their nat#ral ha'itat .

5hen the s#n set,a magical spectacle took place. -he forest at first 'ecame so totall$ dark

that e0en the trees ad3acent to the platform were 'arel$ 0isi'le, mostl$ onl$ '$ a sense of

shapes 'eing there. Shortl$ thereafter, h#ndreds if not tho#sands of /0!/!s appeared,and for se0eral min#tes, lit #p the forest again. -he tho#ght came to me that perhaps



these fireflies came to em'od$ the so#ls of cockatoos lost to trapping, sm#ggling, and

other ra0ages of mankind. It is this analog$ which led me to entitle this article

!F0!/!s.: 5hile the concept might admittedl$ seem rather whimsical, it does ha0e, atthe least, ha0e a s$m'olic 0al#ea stepping off place from which to e6amine the

possi'ilit$ that the Salmoncrest cockatoo might possess inner <#alities which transcend

the #s#al e6ternal <#alities which we see when we first see a pet cockatoo.

I s#ggested that the appearance of the fireflies9of these fireflies might 'e 0iewed as

an incarnation of, or a metaphor for, the Salmoncrested cockatoos 3Cacatua moluccensis? lost to trapping, mistreatment, and greed. 2owe0er, this wo#ld not 'e the

first time that writers ha0e seen a distinct dichotom$ 'etween some people who can

percei0e the special or almost m$stical <#alities in animals, and those who who cannot.

In the first f#ll article which I had e0er written a'o#t cockatoos (JJJ1 FN #] , I foc#sed

on e6actl$ that9the distance 'etween two men with entirel$ different perceptions of

Salmoncrested cockatoons. 4ne, a father fig#re, was deepl$ in0ested in the m$stical

<#alities of the cockatoos to the point that he 'ecame to 'e a'le to comm#nicate them on

moral and , seemingl$, on e0en 0er'al terms. In contrast, his son was 7'lind8 e0en to theconcept that these were cockatoos reg#larl$ seen o#tside his ho#se in A#stralia, who

were tr$ing to comm#nicate with him. Instead, he '#ried himself in technolog$ which heco#ld easil$ manip#late.

[FN #? I ha0e placed large and critical sections of this article !-he Man

5ho -alked to -he Cockatoos: in the Appendi6, and in0ite $o# to read it in its

slightl$red#ced form, or in its complete 0ersion in 4et $ird 5eport, Iss#e

OH1 pp. )*)

-h#s there are might 'e more s#'tle, more ethereal <#alities to these cockatoos '#t the$

re<#ire a longterm closeness and interaction to appreciate, and therefore, to 'e inspired '$ them. I refer to these as !the Inner =arrot.:see 'elow?. It is these traits their innate

!parrotness:which are the foc#s of this article, and which are em'odied in the concept

of !the /ireflies:

In fact, in another of m$ own earl$ writings *++?, I had descri'ed m$ own pet Seram

cockatoo, China #sing the metaphor of a /0!/& , with her own ethereal <#alities "

0A moonbeam danced through crystal sies

+rom isles of clo'e and mace

*hrough time, and history, thought and space

*o alight, ethereal, in my eyes

$earing wondrous pink fir'fly , flitting on my hand 6phemerally held, for nine short years.

*hen reclaimed !hence she came, through cruel tears

n my dreams recalled, to birthing land.

After sunset, !hen billo!ing puffs



of pin cloud are still seen,

She returned, to Mother sland

5iding on a Moonbeam”

FN #"? I wrote !Moon'eam: on the first anni0ersar$ of ChinaPs death

Ma$ F, *++? d#e to dilated cardiom$opath$. China pro0ided m#ch of theinspiration for m$ personal paradigm shift.-he reader can find a photo of her

a'o0e PHOTO #3]. E*+as!s +0$d!d %& S.'.(.

!/irefl$: might well 'e a onl$ a fitting metaphor for these cockatoos, altho#gh I hope to

con0ince the reader that the$ em'od$ m#ch more. Some people9especiall$ children

are fascinated '$ fireflies largel$ '$ their flitting a'o#t and 'ea#tif#l colors. =erhaps, as

with other animals, the$ feel that the$ wo#ld like to keep them, as the$ do other smallanimals, at least for a while, so the$ p#t them in a 3ar, mostl$ with holes in the top for air

and some grass on the 'ottom for food. >#t often the$ are not treated so well, and the$

ma$ lang#ish #ntil the$ die.. -his is reminiscent of the treatment sometimes accorded toIndonesian cockatoos in capti0it$. A n#m'er of people are drawn to their the cockatoos8%

a'ilit$ to paint the darkness of the world aro#nd them, and so the$ seek not to harm the

them '#t 3#st to o'ser0e their 'eha0ior. 4thers p#t them in toosmall cages and do notmeet their o'ligator$ needs.

A poem, descri'ing 3#st s#ch a magical moment the dance of the fireflies was

written '$ Leon D. Schloss'erg. Altho#gh this poem does not specificall$ in0ol0e 'irds,no less parrots, it does capt#re, <#ite 'ea#tif#ll$, similar tho#ghts and concepts in0ol0ing

fireflies, 0alidating that s#ch anal$ses can 'e profita'l$ carried o#t in more than one

famil$, gen#s, or species:

dan!

%ne magical night, !e !atched in a!etransfied by the erotic danceof a thousand twinkling fireflies

lighting the forest !ith a haunting glo!

beconing us to imagine mystical j ourneysto different !orlds and different times

&e stayed for hours, silently !ondering ho! long the dance could last

ho! long the passion !ould burn

under nature"s umbrella of darness

accompanied by chattering cricetsdistant thunder, and bello!ing frogs

7ost in thoughts of !hy and ho!hand-in-hand, !e returned home

the t!inling dance of light

fresh on our spirits, !arm on our soulsand seeing each other in a ne! light



of awe and wonder, !e !ent to bed

and lit each other up lie fireflies “

FN#1 : Leon D. Schloss'erg *+++*+( & with permission,

all rights reser0ed. Emphases are those of S.A.M.?

C. Salmoncrested and other 5hite Cockatoos" the Central Role of the

So#l

Animism is 'ased on the Latin root word !anima: or:anim#s: ,meaning !so#l:. It sho#ld

not 'e conf#sed with pantheism, a con0iction that God is e0er$where1 that e0er$thing in

the ni0erse in im'#ed with God1 and therefore that all of the nat#ral ni0erse is di0ineand merits o#r re0erence, in the a'sence of ha0ing to seek o#t an$ one God.

In Animism, it is held that ph$sical, nonh#man entities also contain a so#l andconscio#sness, e0en those that we wo#ld #s#all$ consider inanimate eg. rocks, ri0ers%.

/#rthermore, the$ ha0e feelings, can comm#nicate and #nderstand, altho#gh9 importantl$9these ma$ not do so in wa$s that are recogniza'le #sing anthropomorphicstandards. -h#s, there is no separation 'etween the spirit#al and ph$sical world, and that

so#ls can mo0e e0en in the a'sence of a ph$sical carrier.

>rian -a$lor FN#11? wrote a'o#t 'irds in general and animism"

“+rom a human perspecti'es birds#are !ild,yet mae contact !ith us...*hey

are in some !ays 8uite lie us, yet in other !ays completely different. *hey often

function as intermediaries bet!een oursel'es and the rest of 9ature. &hich, for

many cultures, means that they mediate between humans and a divine realm#

+or me, one of the appeals of animism is that it opens up the possibility of arapprochement between ‘natural and ‘spiritual!magical approaches to

"ature . [E*+as!s a0! "$s! $/ S.'.(.?

Altho#gh his words here and animism in general, are specific neither a'o#t 'irds nora'o#t cockatoos, each species pro'a'l$ e6presses the principles of Animism in its own

wa$s, and s#rel$ the wa$s of the 5hite Cockatoos are mirrored well in -a$lor8s words.

FN#11" !A Space for Reflection on Animism in -heor$ and =ractice:,

*+(*% . A0aila'le online at

http"animist3ottings.wordpress.com*+(+H+H'irdsanimist'logcarni0al

-he importance of Animism to the concepts in this article lie in the similarit$, if not the

o0erlap of the two9in the form#lation that 5hite Cockatoos are more than !o#ter

=arrots: 'ea#tif#l, pla$f#l 'eings % '#t rather are also comple6 !inner: 'eings withso#ls , the latter 'eing a central concept to the d#alit$ of 'eing of Salmoncrested

cockatoos. -he$ are capa'le of interaction in 'oth the ph$sical and spirit#al world,

recognized in earlier c#lt#res as neardeities see Section D, following%, a concept whichhas fallen '$ the wa$ '$ later c#lt#res, incl#ding that of the 0illagers and especiall$ the

h#nters on Seram. -herefore, with regards to cockatoos, the 0illagers wo#ld ha0e to learn

http://animistjottings.wordpress.com/2013/08/08/birds-animist-blog-carnival/

http://animistjottings.wordpress.com/2013/08/08/birds-animist-blog-carnival/



and to accept that their cockatoos ha0e so#ls , among other e0idence of higher powers .

-his wo#ld 'e a tr#e paradigm shift for them which wo#ld ha0e to precede an$ change in

their 0iews of h#nting cockatoos, and this, in t#rn, preceded '$ an acceptance of theird#alit$ of nat#re. [FN#12]

FN#12:It sho#ld 'e prominentl$ noted that these iss#es ha0e 'een rarel$, if e0er,

'roached '$ conser0ationists and others concerned with the treatment and

g#ardianship of these creat#res. 5ith them, the emphasis has largel$ 'een on

stopping the illegal 'ird trade and ha'itat loss, along with legal protections. As

critical as these factors are, the$ often fail to take into acco#nt the other side of

the e<#ation namel$, the !inner: side% or ma$ emphasize it 'e$ond what ma$ 'e

#nderstood or accepted '$ the local peoples. In these cases, the$ ma$ !lose: the

rapprochement with the 0illagers.

2owe0er, it is clear that animism , while consonant with man$ <#alities of the cockatoosdescri'ed herein, clearl$ is ins#fficient to e6plain the ma3orit$ of them, as well as some of the

most important concepts contained in this article.

. -he Association of 5hite Cockatoos with Deit$9as depicted in

Literat#re and Art

=ro'a'l$ '$ end of rd C.and certainl$ '$ the )th C., lories and white cockatoos reached

China, '#t with the e6ception of gifts from other dignitaries, how the$ got there is notf#ll$ #nderstood, since Chinese ships were not capa'le of sailing to the Mol#ccas Spice

Islands%. In (H AD, a white cockatoo was gi0en as a gift to the Chinese Emperor, and in

Q** AD, another white cockatoo was sent to China from >ali. -hese seemingl$ esotericfacts are <#ite rele0ant to the c#rrent disc#ssion, since white cockatoos '#t not the other

parrots% were accorded stat#s impinging on diet$. Edward Schafer, the highl$regarded

e6pert on the -8ang period and other Chinese periods, notes [FN#13] that parrots were prized no0elties especiall$ in the -Pang period , and states that the Kwhite parrotsK were

indeed white cockatoos from Indonesia.

FN # 13: Schafer, E. -he Golden =eaches of Samarkand, .

ni0. of California =ress, (JHQ?

-hese 'irds were rep#ted to 'e Krefined in #nderstanding, discriminating in intelligence,and e6cellent at answering <#estions,K impressing Emperor -Paits#ng so m#ch that he

ret#rned one to its nati0e forest o#t of pit$. -his might ha0e 'een the first known

e6ample of release 'ack into the wild9as well as an earl$ recognition of the moral

iss#es in0ol0ed in keeping these parrots in capti0it$. %

As the stat#s of these cockatoos grew in the -8ang period, the most <#oted and perhaps

the most 'ea#tif#l poem [FN#14? a'o#t the Salmoncrested cockatoo was written '$ =o

Ch#I , ca. H*+ AD , d#ring the that period"

“+rom distant 7and there came a gift:



a scarlet parrot !ith coloured plumage

lie a peach blossom; so cle'er that

it could spea lie men;

So, as !ith cle'er men

*hey put it in a cage&here it sits !ondering

&hen it shall taste of life again.”

FN# 14Clearl$, this poem descri'es a Salmoncrested cockatoo, and it too has ethicalo0ertones, descri'ing the parrot as if a prisoner in 3ail. 2owe0er, s#ch analogies

are seen repeatedl$ in modern times. Dr. ane Goodall s#mmarized the traged$

of the cagetoosmall for parrots"

0+or me, the sight of a parrot li'ing alone, li'ing in a cage,

depri'ed of flight, miserably bored, breas my heart. And the parrot"s too, perhaps.0

And e0en in Indonesia, one of the most respected cockatoo trappers, Sopi 2alao#te,

learned, largel$ from o#r program, a'o#t the tort#re in0ol0ed in ho#sing cockatoos not

onl$ in cages for $ears, '#t in cages so small that the$ co#ld not e0en stretch their wings.

PHOTO #%.

PHOTO # taken '$ S.A.M.% shows Sopi in an indi0id#al 'ird <#arantine cage at the

Reha'ilitation Center . 5hile h#moro#s in set#p, it carries a serio#s message a'o#t the horrors

of cockatoos ha0ing to li0e most of their lifetimes in fartoosmall small cages. >irdlifeInternational now >#r#ng% had a fitting slogan to go with this photo"

! 2o! !ould <%= lie to li'e in a cage”/or more a'o#t Sopi, see 'elow, especiall$ i0% in the '++!nd7. -his tr#e stor$ still mo0es me

deepl$, e0en toda$.

FN #15 :Cockatoos were also deepl$ in0ol0ed in the c#lt of the A0alokites0ara , again

with moral o0ertones. -his was the name gi0en in India and in >#ddism to the



'odhisatt0a who em'odies the compassion of all >#ddhas. A 'odhisatt0a is an

enlightened person or 'eing, who o#t of compassion for others, leads others to

nir0ana while den$ing the same for himself?. -his fig#re was alwa$s masc#line

and none was e0er as far as I can discern% associated with parrots or cockatoos.

5hen A0alokites0ara spread thro#gho#t Asia, 0ario#s names were gi0en to thisgodlike fig#re, e0ent#all$ incl#ding #an$in. 2owe0er, in China, d#ring and

after the -8ang F(HJ+) A.D.? , feminine forms of #an$in slowl$ emerged ,and '$ the time of the earl$ S#ng d$nast$ aro#nd the (( th Cent#r$, this fig#re

was depicted as a feminine goddess , who was concomitantl$ associated with a

white parrot d#ring the feminine metamorphosis. #an$in fre<#entl$ had a

white parrot ho0ering near her #pper right side, often carr$ing a rosar$ in its

'eak, and acting as the goddess8 attendant. Schafer identified the parrot as

Cacatua moluccensis andor Cacatua alba .-he traits attri'#ted to the white

cockatoos were said to incl#de" wisdom, intelligence the$ were claimed to 'e

s#fficientl$ intelligent to talk and to write poetr$ '$ themsel0es?, lo$alt$, p#rit$,

merc$, transcendence, and a'o0e all, possessors of a so#l and neardeification.?

[FN # 15]. -he$ were treated with great de0otion and re0erence.

FN # 15: @#, C/. #an$in" -he Chinese -ransformation of A0alokites0ara.

Col#m'ia ni0ersit$ =ress, ;ew @ork, *++(

5hite cockatoos were also selecti0el$ descri'ed or painted '$ the foremost artists" -he

-Pang painter @en Lipen painted s#ch a cockatoo in the )th C. Another artist, Cho# /ang,

painted an Indonesian cockatoo in the famo#s work !SnowGar'ed Maiden:, as the pet ofthe fa0orite consort of the Emperor. 5hite cockatoos were painted in the -8ang D$nast$

and later ()*(% in !-he 5hite Cockatoo:, '$ Ch8en Sh#. ;o matter what one 'elie0es

a'o#t the literal tr#th in the histor$ and stories concerning white cockatoos in earl$China, it is clear that that the$ were held in great esteem9 with spirit#al o0ertones

'ordering on deit$, neardeit$, or at the least, attendants to deities. -his wo#ld ele0ate

them a'o0e all the other parrots eg , lorinae, Eclect#s, etc% 'ro#ght to China, s#pportingthe concept that these 'irds did ha0e some kind of special stat#s and <#alit$ which co#ld

'e discerned with effort and caring. -h#s the 5hite Cockatoo 'ecame an icon, following

the definition of an icon as a representati0e of something or someone re0ered or idolized,

and the o'3ect of great de0otion. 2ow ironic and perhaps prescient that I named m$ ownSalmoncrested cockatoo !China:, long 'efore I 'ecame aware of the iconic role of the

5hite Cockatoo in ancient China%

S#ch neardeification was not accorded onl$ in China1 there is e0idence that it was

accorded to white cockatoos al'eit of a different species and at a slightl$ later time in

histor$% in Indonesia as well. -he association with deit$ can 'e seen, concretel$, m#ch

later, this time in Indonesia itself in two of the most famo#s '#ildings of worship there the temple at >oro'#d#r and that at =ram'anan. As the photographs 'elow show <#ite

clearl$, 'oth temples contain 'asreliefs of @ellowcrested cockatoos Cacatua

sulphurea%1 the s#'species is #nknown. 2ow and wh$ the$ were placed there remains

#nclear howe0er, that sho#ldn8t 'e s#rprising, gi0en that there is no definite record of

who originall$ constr#cted >oro'#d#r9or wh$ ;onetheless, the prominent presence of

these 'asrelief of white cockatoos pro0ides f#rther e0idence of a connection made '$ the



local peoples, 'etween white cockatoos and the deities worshipped at these magnificent

temples.

PHOTO # : =24-4 of a 'as relief of a @ellowcrested cockatoo on >oro'#d#r -emple

FN# 16a and 16 %: 5ho constr#cted this temple it was 'eg#n in T )Q+ AD%

9and wh$9remain #nknown '#t pro0ide another link 'etween white cockatoos

and deities . Clearl$, s#ch a link is not confined to a single species of Indonesian

cockatoo, '#t is most prominent o0erall with regards to the Salmoncrested C.moluccensis. 2owe0er, the temples near @og$acarta are more prominent with

regard to @ellowcrested cockatoos.

-he temple at >oro'#d#r is a ;ESC4 5orld 2eritage Site as well as one of the

Se0en 5onders of the 5orld. -he -emple at =ram'anan is the largest 2ind#temple in Indonesia and is a ;ESC4 5orld 2eritage Site. Constr#ction 'egan

T HQ+J++ AD. It lies () km. from the cit$ of @og$acarta . >oro'#d#r is a

>#ddhist temple1 constr#ction 'egan ca. )Q+ AD. It lies a'o#t * kg. from

@og$acarta.It is #nknown wh$ 'oth temples are in fairl$ close pro6imit$ to

@og$acarta



PHOTO #1" A 'asrelief of a @ellowcrested cockatoo at =ram'anan -emple.

FN # 1) : -hese two photos were taken '$ o#r colla'orators D#di ;andika and Dwi

Ag#stina from onser0asi akat#a Indonesia?

FN #1 :

=arentheticall$, it is interesting to note that when Magellan8s fleet or part of it%landed on Seram in T(Q(*, the cartographer Rodrig#es did not refer to Seram

with the #s#al appellation ! the Spice Islands, ! . Rather, he referred to Seram as

de papagaiaos !Land of =arrots:% , in his map in the S#ma 4riental of -ome

=ires and the >ook of /rancisco Rodri<#es, >ook -wo, folia O ). -his seems

to s#ggest that for some reason, the 0illagers on Seram attri'#ted some special

0al#e to the parrots and cockatoos there, e0en tho#gh their 0al#e in trade was far

less than that of spice.

5hite cockatoos are sometimes held in great re0erence 'ordering on godliness e0en

toda$ in Indonesia. @ellowcrested cockatoos on S#m'a Island C. sulphurea

citronocristata) are felt to g#ide so#ls to hea0en, and are the onl$ 'irds permitted to

disperse the seeds from the rare sacred tree on S#m'a. Consonant with this re0erence isthe fact that these same cockatoos were fre<#entl$ depicted on handsewn ikat from o0er

(++ $rs.ago as opposed to the cheapl$made ikat for sale nowada$s to to#rists%. -r#e ikat

are #sed onl$ for 0er$ special occasions weddings1 draping the coffin at f#nerals% . -hefig#re of the cockatoo is readil$ recognized when it appears on ikat, and is felt to

epitomize 'oth no'ilit$ and closeness to deit$. -he A#thor was fort#nate to ha0e 'een

a'le to o'tain a rare, tr#e ancient ikat PHOTO # 11%



E0en m#ch later, the Salmoncrested cockatoos remain a s#'3ect in modern m#sic,ranging from classical to classical rock m#sic see Appendi6 for e6amples%.

PHOTO # 11 Section of ancient 7tr#e8 S#m'a ikat. -he 'ottom row depicts cockatoos in

t$pical fashion for that time, marked '$ an erect crest and an enlarged, hooked 'eak. PHOTO '$

>. Bimmermann

E. 8$!s , 8$!s, and ($0! //u" 8$!s: P9n u+ "!

aun"!"

At first I 'ecame in0ol0ed in more and more cases where pet parrots9incl#ding man$

white cockatoos9were grossl$ mistreated in capti0it$. -hese cases alerted me to the

comple6 needs and intelligence of these cockatoos which were often st#ltified '$ dint ofthe nat#re of capti0it$" li0ing in small cages #s#all$ witho#t the a'ilit$ to fl$1 lacking

e6pos#re not onl$ s#nlight, '#t to U light1 lack of a'ilit$ to p#t their intelligence to#se, and so on. In short, the special <#alities of these cockatoos were often allowed toatroph$ in capti0it$, 'eca#se it is nearl$ impossi'l$ to recreate their needs in a cage.

M$ concerns then t#rned to wild cockatoos9how did the$ fare in the wildN 5hen I

attempted to search for answers to <#estions s#ch as these, I fo#nd, to m$ disma$, thatthere were practicall$ no data concerning either Salmoncrested cockatoos or their Seram

homeland an$where on the thenfledgling 5orld5ide 5e' ca. (JJ)% ;or co#ld I



locate an in0estigator interested in, and knowledgea'le a'o#t these iss#esit seemed that

no one wanted to !take on: Indonesia. And that posed another large pro'lem" 5ho wo#ld

'e willing to gi0e #p a career for a 0ol#nteer position in one of the remotest area onearth remem'ering that the Mol#ccas were the original !Spice Islands:%. -he

inspiration, howe0er, was so strong, that the p#ll co#ld not 'e denied.

Some of these considerations are reminiscent of a short stor$ '$ 2enr$ ames (J+%.

If o#r small gro#p in the Indonesian =arrot =ro3ect was to take on this formida'le task,

there wo#ld 'e a large chance of a reso#nding fail#re. 2owe0er, doing nothing seemed to 'e a worse choice. It reminded me of the life choices of the protagonist ohn Archer in

2enr$ ames8 no0ella >east in the #ngle (J+?. Archer spent his life thinking that

something 0er$ special wo#ld happen to him, onl$ to find o#t that he is the one person to

whom n$"n of significance was to 'efall him. -hat realization was the >east in thetitle . 5hen the realization the >east leaps o#t at him, it is too late for him. 2owe0er,

it is not too late for #s . >#t we need to act swiftl$, if we want to take the steps to help

these magical, 'eleag#ered parrots, and 'efore the >east leaps o#t at #s. -hat is the hope

'ehind this article.

G#illa#me Apollinaire wrote a poem also a'o#t the fear of taking new steps9seeking a personal 7paradigm shift89a change of life8s direction9which is alwa$s 'oth e6citing

and a 'it #nner0ing. In Apollinaire8s poem, it is the people who con0ince the 'irds to

make the frightening 3#mp" -he essence, the core of Apollinaire8s ! Come to the theEdge: , can 'e distilled into a short 0erse, con0e$ing the fear engendered '$ the risk of

fail#re"

“Come to the Edge” [1913]

“‘Come to the edge’,” he saidThey said,’ We are afraid.’ ‘Come to the edge,’ he said

They came,He pushed

He pushed them And they flew”

from '$$s, a collection of poems '$ G#illa#me Apollinaire1

p#'lished in (J(1 !Alcools: translates essentiall$ as !spirits:

.Apollinaire was an Italian poet, pla$wright and art critic of great

esteem.%

Drawing in part on his work, I wrote a more e6tended poem dealing with m$ innert#rmoil at making an #ncon0entional9and a 0er$ an6iet$ pro0oking career change,

which certainl$ fell into the definition of a paradigm shift see FN#1?

“The Edge” [abstracted]



“*he birds beconed. “Come to the 6dge,” their eyes said. 2is

heart throbbed at a furious pace lie that of the in>ured sparro! he

had once rescued as a child, but no! it !as he himself !ho !ascupped in the hands of a!areness, longing to be healed.

*he birds beconed again. “Come to the 6dge,” they said.

“ am afraid,” he said. *hey beconed again. 9o! he !as

standing near the brin of a 'ast precipice, diying, frightening yet ehilarating#

*hey beconed again. “Come to the 6dge.”

2e placed one foot o'er the 6dge, and !as no longer afraid.

2is spirit felt light as a feather.

*hey pushed him, and he fle!.”

( <0""!n %& S.'.( $n Tan9sn a&, 1

-he decision had 'ecome easier 'eca#se it was the 'irds who 'eckoned and inspiredlifting m$ heart !light as a feather.: M$ mission, then, is to respond to the ga#ntlet

thrown 'efore me FN # 1? fig#rati0el$ speaking, '$ the cockatoos and other parrots.

FN # 1A ga#ntlet is a piece of medie0al armor designed to protect the hand.-o !pick #p the ga#ntlet: thrown '$ others% or to !r#n the ga#ntlet: means to

accept a challenge to fight or compete, or to take on a series of pro'lems .

-he choices epitomized in 'oth 0ersions of !-he Edge: seemed to 'e mirrored in a well

known, al'eit anon$mo#s, poem a'o#t treatment of all capti0e animals"

“ looed at all the caged animals in the shelter#

*he cast offs of human society

sa! in their eyes lo'e and hope, fear and dread,

Sadness and betrayal

And !as angry

“od,” said. “*his is terrible. &hy don"t you do something”

od !as silent for a moment, and then spoe softly.

“ ha'e done something,” !as the reply. “ created you.” Anon%

4nce one recognizes9or admits to the possi'ilit$9of the special <#alities of the 5hite

=arrots of Indonesia, and is willing to at least consider that these might 'e em'odied in

the /ireflies, then the mistreatment of the cockatoos 'ecomes e0en more immoral,whereas the need to act 'ecomes more pressing. -h#s the Salmoncrested cockatoo, and



perhaps other white cockatoos of Indonesia, ma$ 'e icons for se0eral attri'#tes

thro#gho#t their histor$, some of which ha0e 'een identified as compassion, near

deification1 intelligence1 compassion1 wisdom, lo$alt$, p#rit$, and transcendence .-heir inner attri'#tes, along with their e6ternal 'eha0iors and appearances, ma$ help to

e6plain wh$ the$ ha0e 'een fa0ored e<#all$ '$ common man and emperors, from ancient

times to the present. -hese traits ha0e 'een epitomized in fig#res s#ch as the iconic5hite =arrots of China1 the 'asreliefs on the temples near @og$acarta, and most

recentl$, the dance of the Seram /ireflies .

Indeed, the !celestial: and the more m#ndane feat#res of the Salmoncrested cockatoo

see /;O F% define them in se0eral wa$s, spanning the spectr#m from ethereal to tragic

/. C4;CLSI4;S9or reall$, 3#st the >EGI;;I;G N

I ha0e stated that, in the dead of night, in perfect darkness, on the sole island which

remains a homeland for the Salmoncrested cockatoo, the almostmagical appearance offireflies lit the night9literall$, and to others, ill#minated or at least opened to <#estion,

ideas #s#all$ '#ried 'eneath the ph$sical attracti0eness of these parrots. . -hise6traordinar$ displa$ might s#ggest to the 'elie0er9the ones open to the possi'ilit$ that

the$ are icons of more than merel$ 'ea#tif#l 'irds in peril that these cockatoos might 'e

the em'odiment of cockatoos from times past. E0en to the non'elie0ers, man$ recognizethat white cockatoos are wondro#s creat#res who merit o#r 'est efforts to 'e conser0ed.

=erhaps the$ were created on one of the most remote places on earth, to signif$ the

concept that the$ sho#ld remain isolated, in the wild, and safe from the predation of man.

I ha0e pointed o#t the similarit$ to animism. -herefore, m$ sense that the spirit of

cockatoos might 'ecome em'odied in /ireflies dancing in the /orest, and 'ringingenlightenment al'eit #nconscio#sl$, to the locals and to #s%, wo#ld 'e consonant with ananimistic perception that the white cockatoos of Indonesia and especiall$ the Salmon

crested cockatoo% possess spirits, and with so#ls, a d#alit$ 'etween the ph$sical world

as 'irds% and a celestial world as spirits%. I had se0eral con0ersations with the cockatootrappers of Seram who at first, and thro#gho#t their histor$, co#ld not 'elie0e that parrots

had so#ls. -herefore, one of re<#irements in achie0ing a paradigm shift in the wa$ that

the$ 7see8 and treat cockatoos will likel$ in0ol0e opening them to the possi'ilities that parrots and other animals ha0e intelligence and tho#ghts1 sentience1 are a'le to feel pain 1

and $es, ma$ likel$ ha0e so#ls. >#t let #s not tr$ to look awa$ from the other side of the

e<#ation" while s#ch a change in life8s choices re<#ires a paradigm shift9and while s#ch

a change will 'e re<#ired '$ the 0illagers on Seram, it will also 'e re<#ired of o#rsel0es .

4thers ha0e recognized the magic of the connection 'etween the so#l and fireflies ,

e0en placing them together in an ancient setting similar to that wherein we first saw thefireflies lighting #p the forest" Ron McV#aid wrote in *++J FN#1% "

F0!/& (a



“Satellites drift as stars glisten in the festi'e hea'en,

colored smoe-blue hue by dark light sky of night

+lattered by silhouettes of majestic ancient trees

with trunks standing tall and limbs spreading wide#

Against airy space among shado!ed leafy branches, fier y fireflies flash and sparkle as lightning spars

incessantly flittering freely in silent fetterless >oy

and sometimes !hile holding their light seem to float as large neon green beams beside distant tiny satellites

#

Ah, firefly magic on these cool summer midnights of ?une

brims !ith life meaning and revels in delight with the soul#

FN#1" http"0oices.$ahoo.compoetr$firefl$magic

QQ(H*(.htmlNcat(+ 1

$ E*+as!s %& S'(.

-he similarit$ to the appearance of fireflies after the darkness had swallowed all light inthe forest of Seram, as descri'ed a'o0e, is hopef#ll$ apparent to the reader.

4ne 'it of e0idence that a paradigm shift co#ld 'e achie0ed lies in the wa$ that the Seram0illagers 0iewed their cockatoos. >efore the Indonesian =arrot =ro3ect came to Seram,

essentiall$ all of the trappers and 0illagers saw the cockatoos in terms of income, not

'elie0ing that the$ co#ld ha0e intelligence and co#ld comm#nicate, no less ha0e so#ls.

>#t with time there came the slow '#t definite recognition that9as some of the trappersnow admit9their cockatoos m#st indeed ha0e so#ls, feel pain, and are intelligent. 5hen

we terminated o#r work on Seram after more than H $ears, the trapping of Salmoncrested

cockatoos had ceased where o#r program was foc#sed ;orth Seram, near Sawai andMasih#lan 0illages%, '#t the work at o#r Reha'ilitation and Release Center contin#es,

#sing principles and program which we had esta'lished. Some of the trappers ha0e a

newfo#nd sense that sa0ing these cockatoos9and their so#ls9is worthwhile. In fact, Ihad decided to introd#ce the trappers and 0illagers li0ing near o#r Reha'ilitation and

Release Center on ;orth Seram, the cens#s of which was o0erwhelmingl$ comprised of

Salmoncrested cockatoos. -his was a risk$ choice9another leap at !the Edge:, not onl$

'eca#se the ideas wo#ld likel$ asto#nd o#r friends there, compo#nded '$ the diffic#lt$ incon0erting s#ch a'stract concepts into concrete tho#ghts. In *++, #sing a mi6 of 'ahasa

Indonesia and 'ahasa Ingrid Indonesian and English lang#ages%, I introd#ced them to the

concepts th#s"

&e belie'e that the Cocatoo is not just a bird .

All cocatoos are !ise and peaceful, affectionate andbrimming o'er !ith affection. %adly cockatoos can feel pain,

such as !hen they are trapped or !hen their chics are ripped

from their mother"s breast.

&e belie'e that the &ockatoo also possesses a %oul ,

http://voices.yahoo.com/poetry-firefly-magic-3551821.html?cat=10






and that she also protects us from e'il spirits.

!*+as!s %& S'(., 23 )

Some of the local peoples ine0ita'l$ were going to respond to these words, sooner or

later. 4ne of the most striking of these con0ersions was o'ser0ed with SA=I, a master

trapper of cockatoos '#t a 0er$ gentle man. I wrote his 0er$ to#ching stor$ in *++H, 4nanother occasion, he whispered to me that what he and others had done all these $ears

trapping cockatoos% was wrong, now that he #nderstood that the$ had feelings, so#ls,

and co#ld feel pain. 4f co#rse, I reass#red him that what he did was not !wrong: sincehe didn8t know these things at the time and had to make a li0ing in the onl$ wa$ he knew

how%. ;onetheless, he stopped trapping from that da$ on. -ragicall$, Sopi de0eloped

widespread cancer. As he la$ in the clinic d$ing, we were a'o#t to carr$ o#t o#r first

release 'ack to the wild of cockatoos reha'ilitated after their confiscation fromsm#gglers. @et all that Sopi kept asking from his death'ed was !2a0e the$ released the

cockatoos $etN: o0er and o0er. -o o#r amazement and sadness, Sopi died at 0irt#all$ the

0er$ same moment that the cage door was opened to let the cockatoos ha0e their freedom.

S#rel$, this is a dramatic, indeed a tragic, e6ample of the paradigm shift that can 'eachie0ed when the realization of the !other, inner: nat#re of the Salmoncrested and

other% cockatoos of Indonesia, is grasped and f#ll$ accepted, accompanied '$ therealization that the$ do, indeed, ha0e so#ls.

#st a'o0e, I 'riefl$ descri'ed the apparent paradigm shift of Sopi . 4nce a leadingcockatoo trapper, he had opened his e$es #nder o#r t#telage to the possi'ilit$ that the

cockatoos on his island ha0e so#ls, leading him to gi0e #p trapping. E0en more of an

astonishing if not mirac#lo#s e0ent was the coincidence of the first release of

reha'ilitated cockatoos and the e6act moments of his death. /or me, it was one of themost dramatic, f#lfilling, $et sad, moments of m$ time among cockatoos. It reinforced for

me not onl$ the tr#th that 'oth Mankind and at least certain% Animals ha0e so#ls, '#t

also that those So#ls appear to 'e ine6trica'l$ linked to ;at#re and its land, water andha'itats. In 'oth cases the remo0al of access to ;at#re and from the f#ndamental

necessities deri0ed from nat#re, renders less distinct their 'asic ;at#re i.e., their 7parrot

ness8? and limits their freedoms. -his 'asic form of ensla0ement i.e., capti0it$? ofcockatoos wo#ld o0er time, I post#late, damage the so#l, and contri'#te to the degenerate

'eha0iors s#ch as selfm#tilation. 5e know that 'eca#se, as cited a'o0e, feather

destr#cti0e 'eha0ior in wild cockatoos onl$ appears when critical factors a'ilit$ to fl$

and ade<#ate space, to name two of the most important% appear following capt#re. >asedon the totalit$ of what I80e written a'o0e, it seems reasona'le to s#ggest that s#ch

tort#red cockatoos also ma$ appear within m$ analog$ as fireflies on Seram, and not

solel$ thro#gh their death.

Is inter0ention possi'leNate 2a$es and other a#thors ha0e noted that fireflies are especiall$ magical to $o#ng

children, '#t that same feeling co#ld 'e e0oked in ad#lts willing to take the leap off

! -he Edge: and #ndergo the search for a 7paradigm shift8 in their li0es.



FN#2: FIREFLIES

lo'e

to !atch the face of a child

enamored !ith the fireflies

*hey dance, by chance a glance#and then , entranced 2e is delighted and ecited;

2as been inspired and !ill go far

#as !ould , had the spirit, of a dauntless child

@ate (Clausen) 2ayes, BB her format is retained, as constr#cted '$ the A#thor?

D; All rights reser'ed

.

5ords from Lee Ann 5omack8s song =F$0!!0 E!0&da&> 'rings together similarinterpretations that dreams the important ones9can 'e em'odied in fireflies and

pro'a'l$ in other animals% W and that if we let o#rsel0es 'e open to the wonder and aweof children, we, as ad#lts, can come to appreciate the magic of these special creat#res

and lea0e them alone to pl$ their magic, safel$, where the$ were created.

“*hought od !as crying1 !hen it rained nd that the stars were fireflies

And that (reams were real and big as life

Maybe 1cause 1m older and less !ise

&hat if 2ea'en1s all around us

$ut only seen through children1s eyes

*hey say !hen you1re old you1re a child again

$ut do !e ha'e to !ait 1till then

FN# 21:

Lee Ann 5omack, !/ore0er E0er$da$:, *+++

Cow'o$l$rics.com l$rics can 'e #sed for ed#cational

p#rposes?

=#'lisher, 4le Media Management .Composers" . >aton, ohnston, De0on 48Dea. im

McLean5orle$ 5orld M#sic

;ote the similarities in the ma3or l$rics from the two poems"

2a$es% 2e has been inspired and !ill go far

As !ould , had the spirit of a dauntless child”



5omack% “*hey say !hen you"re old you"re a child again

$ut do !e ha'e to !ait Etill then”

-he fact is, we don8t ha0e to wait. 5e are at 7the Edge8, and can take the pl#nge off the

precipice right now if we choose. As #nner0ing as that might seem, to 'e !near the brinof a 'ast precipice 3is bothF diying, frightening yet ehilarating”. 2o!e'er,once that

step is taken, $o#r spirit will feel !light as a feather : and $o# will 'e !no longer afraid .:

I know that we can make that leap, if we ha0e the will. 5e ha0e 'een chided '$ the likesof St. /rancis of Assisi "

! 9ot to hurt our humble brethren is our first duty to them, but to stop

there is not enough. &e ha'e a higher mission : to be of ser'ice to them

!here'er they re8uire it.”=erhaps this is a part of what the /ireflies tell #s, s$molicall$ at the least. 5e can accept

the Salmoncrested cockatoo solel$ in its !4#ter =arrot: form, as a wonderf#l pet li0ing

in a cage. 2owe0er, as Sopi learned, these parrots will ne0er ha0e a chance at freedom or

to e6press their special traits. Some wo#ld call s#ch imprisoment !conser0ation:, e0entho#gh the$ fail to recognize, or don8t care a'o#t, the !Inner =arrot:. 2owe0er, a warning

is so#nded thro#gh the intermediac$ of the /ireflies, who might, I post#late, em'od$ theso#ls of s#ch lost cockatoos for o#r consideration.

-here is a precipice, howe0er, one which gi0es #s the opport#nit$ to 3#mp, fearlessl$ and 3o$o#sl$, to finall$ make the commitment to conser0e these cockatoos. Indeed, we are at

the edge of a formida'le $et 'ea#tif#l cliff. -he cockatoos can8t wait m#ch longer for #s

to 3#mp off that =recipice and to fl$, if the$ are to s#r0i0e. 5hen the$ are gone, we

cannot recreate them, onl$ see their so#ls, most clearl$ in fireflies flitting in the dark ofSeram8s forests.

5e m#stn8t a'andon them when we ha0e the chance to learn their celestial and ethereal

lessons, 0isi'le onl$ to those who can see 'e$ond their 'ea#t$ and their comedic 'eha0ior. 5endell >err$ wrote of o#r responsi'ilities in this regard"

“7oo/ 7oo/ See ho! fearfully and !onderfully

this creature is made.

See ho! beautifully the feathers#are laid together

See the gloss of li'e intelligence in this eye, and in this one#

$y this intricacy, this supreme delicacy and elegance,

=nderstand that neither you nor a multitude of youCould mae such a creature

f you could mae e'en a replica, you could not mae it li'e f it did not eist, you could not imagine it.

Since it does eist, please do not neglect it.”

( (JJ(1 with permission%



APPENDIX

. Sa*$n-0!s"!d 8$9a"$$s: S" /asna"n n "! ($d!0n E0a

Interestingl$, the artistic appeal of the Salmoncrested cockatoo has e6tended right intothe modern era in m#sic, where it spans 'oth classical and hardcore rock tastes

. .

PHOTO 12" Co0er of an al'#m '$ =rocol 2ar#m, #sing the act#al artwork

of ako' >ogdani (FF+()*%, who named his work 7/r#it and >irds8



PHOTO 13: -his al'#m was composed in (JH '#t not performed #ntil (JJ(. It contains the

2ol$ Sonnets of ohn Donne and other songs. -he famo#s tenor >en3amin >ritton sang man$ of

the pieces. -he al'#m is entitled !-he Red Cockatoo: '#t the piece of that name is act#all$ 0er$

short. -he co0er, depicting two Salmoncrested cockatoos, is <#ite a'stract.

2owe0er, it has appeared in man$ other forms.

. S$+ und!0$!s a Pa0ad* S/" and Fnds Hs S$u: ' T0u! S"$0&

!Sopi: 2alao#te was the name of one of the foremost parrot trappers on the north part of

Seram Island, Indonesia. Sopi started poaching at the age of (F and specialized incapt#ring cockatoos. After o#r program 'ecame esta'lished there, Sopi and hiscolleag#es stopped trapping. 4ne da$, Sopi accompanied #s in the 'oat as we headed

'ack to !ci0ilization:. In a <#iet 0oice, he said to me" ! *uan Sir?, we know now that we

were wrong to trap parrots1 $o# ha0e shown #s a 'etter wa$.: I had a diffic#lt timemaintaining m$ compos#re, str#ck 'oth '$ the honor of his title for me, and '$ his

7confession8. I of co#rse reminded him that none of the trappers did an$thing !rong 9

the$ merel$ did what the$ had to, '#t that hopef#ll$ there were now 'etter alternati0es. Iha0e 'een told that Sopi cried when he saw one of the 0er$ same cockatoos which he had

trapped, caged in the town of Masohi on the so#th side of the islandW

;ot too long after that, Sopi came down with cancer which <#ickl$ spread thro#gh his

'od$. 2is famil$ asked me to 0isit him at home to see if I a ph$sician% co#ld do an$thing

for him, '#t of co#rse I co#ldn8t. -his strong, pro#d man had 'een red#ced to a frail ando'0io#sl$ scared gentleman. /or a second time, Sopi had to#ched me deepl$.

A few months later, we ret#rned to Seram for the first release of reha'ilitated cockatoos 'ack into the wild, in *++F. D#ring the release, we asked to go see how Sopi was doing9



he was the first !inpatient: in the small medical clinic which we had '#ilt for the 0illage.

5e were told that he had 3#st died a few min#tes ago, '#t that 'efore he passed awa$, he

had asked o0er and o0er whether 7the 'irds had 'een released $etW2ad the cockatoos 'een released $etN8. It seems that Sopi was released from the grip of cancer and recei0ed

his freedom from s#ffering, at almost precisel$ the same time within min#testhat the

cockatoos were released from capti0it$, and recei0ed their freedom from s#ffering. Itseems reasona'le to sa$ that Sopi had 'ridged the distance from the personification of

cockatoos as pets and as so#rces of income the !4#ter =arrot:% o0er a few short $ears,

to #nderstanding them as 'irds with so#ls the !Inner =arrot:%, worth$ of o#r respect and protection.

. //!0!n" P!0!+"$ns and //u" 8$!s

-he diffic#lt$ in making hard choices in life, as highlighted in !-he Edge: and

!Come to the Edge: <#oted a'o0e% can also 'e seen in 2enr$ ames8 no0ella !-he

>east in the #ngle:. In this short stor$, the protagonist ohn Marcher feels that some0er$ great , e0en mon#mental, e0ent awaits him in life. Meanwhile, howe0er, he

a0oids all passion, incl#ding the risk of re<#iting the lo0e offered to him '$ hisgirlfriend. 5hen Marcher witnesses another person ra0aged with sadness at thegra0eside of someone whom he apparentl$ co#ld lo0e, Marcher realizes that his great

o#tcome was indeed to affect him '#t no one else '#t that this #ltimate destin$ la$ in

his ego and selfcenteredness , specificall$ in his ina'ilit$ to lo0e. -he mon#mental

e0ent for which he has waited all his life, was that he was to e6perience nothingmonumental at all . -his, then, was the >east in the #ngle, and, in its realization, he

finall$ saw the l#rking 'east. 5hile this no0ella does not concern 'irds, no less

cocckatoos, it does #nderscore the ongoing 'attle 'etween taking the eas$ road andchoosing the s#perficial, accepted path and in0esting spirit#all$ in the highest '#t

most diffic#lt <#alities of life

As ames wrote"

G“ 6'erything fell together, confessed, eplained, o'er!helmed; lea'ing

him most of all stupefied at the blindness he had cherished. *he fate hehad been mared for he had met !ith a 'engeance--- he had been the man

of his time, the man, to !hom nothing on earth !as to ha'e happened...

2e had seen %utside of his lfe, not learned it !ithin.*hat !as the rare stroe-- t !as the truth, 'i'id and monstrous, that all the !hile he had

!aited the !ait !as itself his portion. 2e had been the man of his time,

*26 man, to !hom nothing on eath !as to ha'e happened . *his thecompanion of his 'igil had then offered him the chance to baffle his doom.

%ne1s doom, ho!e'er, !as ne'er baffled, and on the day she told him his

o!n had come do!n she had seen him but stupidly stare at the escape she

offered him#the $east had lured indeed, and the $east#had sprung,

huge and hideous."ames, 2. *he $east in the ?ungle , (J+



. A Ma3or E6cerpt from !*he Man &ho *aled to the Cocatoos:"

A -heme Similar to ames8 '#t /oc#sed on the Salmoncrested Cockatoo

& Stewart Metz

from 7a?oie, /all, (JJJ1 pp. *F, and the 4et $ird 5eport, Iss#e OH1 pp. )*)

“*here is a story, the eistence of !hich is not disputed, of a man !ho lo'ed and

protected cocatoos#. *o him, all animals !ere part of an etended circle, !ith people

being no more, and no less, than members of a single family. $ut his particular lo'e !as for parrots and especially for his salmon-crested cocatoo, !ho had pro'ided him !ith

many years of >oy and companionship. %f special delight !as the cocatoo"s sentience,

and uncanny ability to sense and respond to !hat the old man !as thining and feeling.

Mirroring this sentience !as the surprisingly deep and empathetic epression that thiscocatoo displayed behind her large, deep, blac eyes. *he old man li'ed !ith his one

son although, unlie his father, the boy did not much care for the animals on the farm.

2e !as into his music and especially the recent ad'ances in technology# %ne day, his

ears pered up !hen he thought he heard the characteristic s8ua!s of cocatoos out inhis paddoc by the barn. Checing his cage, he noted that his o!n cocatoo !as still

there and clearly !as not maing the sounds... And yet the old man ne! that there !ereno such birds any!here in this part of the country:in fact, on the !hole continent. As

they landed beside him, they raised their tall crests, indicating that they !ere curious and

seemed to !ant to tal to him.

And the Man ased “&hy do you come here to me”. *he first cocatoo opened its bea

and !hat came out !ere no mere sounds, but clear !ords# *he cocatoos flapped their

!ings, and replied,” $ecause of your lo'e for us:a selfless lo'e different from the usuallo'e of a human for another human:!e ha'e come to be your guides on a long and

special ?ourney.”

“*o !here” ased the old Man !orriedly.

“<ou !ill soon see,” they responded. “$ut do not be afraid.”

# *he coccatoo said “*ell others to follo! your eample and not to discard or neglect

us animals as if !e !ere inferior creature:or e'en merchandise:to be used only to

ser'e manind, and then thro!n a!ay. &e may be different but nonetheless, ha'eintelligence and feelings and emotions >ust lie you.” *he cocatoo blined his dar eyes

and the Man could no! appreciate the sorro! in their depths. *he hen addedH “See in us

all that !e are. &e creature are not decoration, or products for your food or your fashions, or targets to be shot for your Esport." &e too are comple and sentient beings.

Man cannot percei'e this unless there are others lie you to sho! them the truth.”

“*ell me, please, !hat else do !e humans need to see”

“*hat !e are special gifts to you. %ur softness can lift the spirits of the aged. %ur

lo'e can cure the depressed; our de'otion can lighten the load of the lonely or autistic;



and our beauty !ill dale you all if you !ill >ust tae a moment to see ho! much more

beautiful !e are than any of Man"s o!n creations.”

*he cocatoos and the Man taled on lie this through the night. &hat they did not no!

!as that the old man"s son !as eperimenting !ith his digital 'ideo cam that e'ening. As

he panned out across the landscape, he unno!ing captured his father sitting there, untildaylight faded into darness and he !as forced to stop filming. 6'entually, discussions

bet!een the old Man and the cocatoos ended and morning broe, maing the cocatoos

glo! almost lie the sun itself.

*hey found the old Man, the net day, dead, leaning against a giant tree, !ith a

sorro!ful yet calm epression on his face. 2is eyes !ere open and the trace of a tear still

lingered on his chee (although some said later that this must only ha'e been due to themorning de! condensing on his cooling sin). 2is hands !ere clasped as if in prayer. 9o

one could figure out !hat had brought the man so far out in the field-- perhaps confusion

or delirium, they speculated.

<ears later, the old man"s son, !hile digging through some boes in the attic, found the

'ideotape !hich he had recorded the e'ening that his father had died. %ut of curiosity,he put it into his IC5 and pressed the E4lay" button. At first, meaningless scenes

appeared, but then he began to mae out the landscape at the bac end of the paddoc

and something came into focus there in the distance. t !as the tree under !hich his

father had died. 2unching in front of the tele'ision set to get a better loo, he could seehis father sitting, and seeming to tal to !hat possibly !ere t!o large birds (although

their images !ere 'ery blurry to him), 6'en using the highest digital enhancement, he

could still not discern the identity of these figures. n fact, all his ne!fangled e8uipmentand technology pro'ed unable to bring into focus, in clear detail, the beauty and other

8ualities of these birds. *he son therefore concluded that they must be t!o of his father"s

free-ranging chicens, rendered peach-colored by the glo! of the setting sun"screpuscular hues (although some rogue obser'ers !ere so bold as to point out a certain

similarity to the old man"s cocatoo).

&hen the son turned up the 'olume, he could hear some mumbling. Cocing his

ear to the speaer, he could almost mae out certain !ords, perhaps ones lie “respect”,

“creation”, “dignity” and “lo'e”, but he could not be sure#. 5ather, they 3these

soundsF sounded lie s8ua!s such as those !hich come naturally from parrots(although later, some obser'ers dismissed the sounds as being merely the creaing of the

door on the nearby tool shed).

$ut no one:abo'e all, the son:had been able to eplain on the day the man died, the

presence of the single, unmistaable salmon-colored crest feather loced bet!een the old

Man"s hands froen in prayer, cur'ed bac!ards lie a rainbo! arching from the Sy to 6arth. As a light breee, arose, it carried the feather up!ard, spiraling o'er the tall trees

filled !ith softly peeping songbirds, and returned it 2ea'en!ard, from !here it first had

come.”



-he point of this stor$ is the conflict 'etween those fascinated '$ parrots9in this case,

Salmoncrested cockatoos there'$ coming to #nderstand them as intelligent,sentient

'eings, with e0en some special ties to the hea0ens a'o0e 1 and those who , 'eing 'lindto their special, e0en celestial <#alities, choose rather to 'e fascinated and 'linded instead

'$ technolog$, which fails to percei0e the special <#alities of these 'irds of co#rse.

In the clash of perceptions of the Salmoncrested cockatoo , one is the common 0iew ofa cockatoo as 3#st a cockatoo1 the other 0iew incl#ding the m#ch rarer , additional 0iew

of them as e#phemeral, magical 'eings.

FIREFLIES: Reflections Drawn from the Enrichment and Inspiration of a Life Among Cockatoos

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Transcript of FIREFLIES: Reflections Drawn from the Enrichment and Inspiration of a Life Among Cockatoos